Cathodic Protection

Cathodic Protection Design, Installation and Testing	Interpretation of Federal and State Regulations
Internal & External Corrosion Monitoring	Pipeline Integrity Management
CP Troubleshooting for Underground Facilities	Coating Evaluation & Failure Analysis
Cathodic Protection Interference and Stray Current (static and dynamic) detection	Cathodic Protection Design for Restoration of Historical Buildings
Cathodic Protection Training	Computerized Close Interval Survey
Cathodic Protection for Reinforced Concrete Structures	Laboratory & On-site Investigation

Cathodic protection effectively protects underground or submerged metallic structures through the use of a negative potential applied by an external source to the structure. Commonly, once the structure has been made sufficiently negative, environmental corrosion (soil or moisture) is resisted. The method is typically applied to iron or steel structures such as underground pipelines, storage tanks, the interior of water storage tanks, ocean pilings, and electrical transmission towers. Buried steel structures will revert back to their natural state as an iron oxide without proper intervention.

Matco's Corrosion Department Manager Preperaing A Huge Graphite Anode For Cathodic Protection of Offshore Tunnel Under Chesapeake Bay. Our engineers are  hands-on type and find the solution to problems in the field. To solve a problem the engineer should get up close and personal with his materials

MATCO has obtained a position of considerable prominence in the cathodic-protection field. As evidence of that, MATCO was hired to provide the entire gamut of CP services for the major liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) terminal in the United States where LNG from Algeria and other offshore sources in unloaded. The facility includes a mile-long submarine steel tunnel in which the pipelines and service utilities are located, all of the mooring pilings, the underground pipelines in the tanks farm on shore and other ancillary facilities.

Stray Current Corrosion

Where a protected structure, or the anode(s) or groundbed(s), lies near to other buried or immersed metallic structures that are not fully insulated from earth, the latter(secondary strucures may , at certain points , pick up a portion of protection current due to potential gradients in the soil or water and return it to earth at others. The secondary strucures may corrode at these latter points. The effect is described as stray current corrosion. There are two types of stray current corrosion: (1)Dynamic Stray Current and (2) static stray currents. Dynamic stray currents fluctuate while static stray currents do not exhibit fluctuation with time(static and continous). It should be noted that when stray current corrosion is detected, time is of the essence and failure(leakage) can occur in rather short time. The corrosion engineer needs to identify pick up and discharge stray current areas immediately. These locations can be determined by close interval survey and current interruption and recording the potentials by aata logger or other type of recorders. It should be noted that the current will alwaystake the path of least resistance and should always return to tis source. It is important to meet with different parties involved to determine the criterion that will be utilized to test , evaluate and mitigate any stray current (corrosion) that may be be identified. Matco's certifed cathodic protection specilists will provide testing procedures and and acceptance criteria and resolution of stray current and interference problems that you may experience in your underground/water facilites.

On a more routine basis, MATCO provides CP services for systems from ones as small as an individual gasoline station tank system to major pipelines of many kinds. Contact us to find out how we can help to solve your CP problems.

 EXAMPLES OF SOME PAST UNDERGROUND CORROSIONENGINEERING PROJECTS

•          Field and laboratory evaluations of failed (blistered) fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) coated gas transmission pipe line, including soil corrosivity determination, coating analysis, blister fluid extraction and analysis, interpretation of close interval survey data, root-cause determination and recommendation.

•         Soil resistivity surveys in support of the construction of a new AC power transmission line.  The locations and right-of-way of the towers was selected with consideration given to the soil resistivity as related to grounding requirements.

•          Forensic analysis to determine root cause of catastrophic gas line failures; explosion, corrosion, mechanical failure….

•         Design and installation of internal galvanic cathodic protection systems for waste water treatment tank farms.

•          Troubleshooting and remediation of coated steel production lines exhibiting through wall perforations only a few months after commissioning.

•      Evaluation of installed cathodic protection system on newly commissioned coated steel production lines.

•          Evaluation and remediation of cathodic protection system operating on a 25 mile long 12 inch diameter coated steel river water pipeline for coal washing.

•         DC stray current and stray current  mitigation to abate damage on coated steel pipe replaced after less than one year of being commissioned.

•         Design and installation of galvanic cathodic protection system for process piping at a refined petroleum products depot.

•          Design and installation of galvanic cathodic protection systems for diesel fuel emergency fuel piping and storage tanks for hospitals and municipalities.

•          Annual evaluations of impressed current and galvanic cathodic protection systems on gathering and distribution fuel gas lines, jet fuel transmission lines and service station gas/diesel fuel storage tanks.

•         Cathodic protection system specifications for design phase of a 36 inch diameter ductile iron river-water pumping station and feasibility study for a new coking facility having over 4 miles of underground water, air and fuel gal lines.

•          Inspection, troubleshooting and remediation of cathodic protection systems operative at a 260 MW cogeneration plant.

•      Stray current dection and troubleshooting of cathodic protection systems operative at gas stations

Training and Education

To promote better understanding of cathodic protection and materials performance in different types of environments, MATCO Associates, Inc offers many different training and educational seminars.  Seminars can be arranged to be held onsite or at our location for a nominal fee which includes certifications.  During 2000-2007 MATCO has provided many seminars and participitated in short courses for clients and associations, such as:  Appalachian Underground Corrosion Short Course (West Virginia); NASA Kennedy Space Center, IBM facilities (New York); Marco Energy Systems (West Virginia); National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE, Pittsburgh Chapter); and ASM International (Wisconsin and Pittsburgh).  Currently, we are organizing two seminars one on  Corrosion Engineering and one on Cathodic Protection/Coating for Pipe Line/Tank Corrosion Control.  Those interested in either of these seminars or future seminars should contact Dr. Zee at 800-221-9090.

Course Outline for Cathodic Protection

1.   Essential Background Review
     Basic Electricity for CP
     Corrosion as an Electrochemical Reaction
     Types of Corrosion
2.  Control of Corrosion
     Coatings
3. Cathodic Protection
     Insulated Joints
     Bonds
4. Measurement of CP Circuits
     Potential
     Resistance
     Current
5. CP Potential Measurement and Criteria
     Reference Cells
     Survey Methods and Analysis
     Criteria for Cathodic Protection
6. Galvanic (Sacrificial) CP Systems
     Materials and Types
     Installation Procedures
     Test Points
7. Impressed Current CP Systems
     Materials and Types
     Rectifiers
     Installation Procedures
     Test Points
8. Stray Current
     Dynamic Interference
     Static Interference
     Examples and Mitigation Measures
9. Records, Maintenance and Troubleshooting
     System Information and Inspection Records
     Routine Maintenance Schedules
     Troubleshooting Basics
10. Introduction to CP Design and Materials
      Basic concepts for CP system design
11. Examples, Experiments and Practical Problem Solving
12. Cathodic Protection Of Stainless Steels, Copper Alloys: Protection Criteria and Application 

The instructors include NACE Certified Cathodic Protection/Corrosion/Coating Instructors, professional engineers, material scientists, and coating/materials selection/design specialists.

Matco's Technical Notes on Cathodic Protection and Coatings

Cathodic Protection, by Dr. Zee, Dr. Gibbon, Geoff Rhodes and Dr. George Bayer, Internally published by Matco Associates, Inc

Failure Analysis of Coatings, by Dr. George T. Bayer and Dr. Mehrooz Zamanzadeh, internall published by Matco Associates, Inc.

A Re-Examination of Failure Analysis, by Dr. Mehrooz Zamanzadeh, Dr. Donald Gibbon, and Edward Larkin, internally published by Matco Associates, Inc.

Matco Provides Complete Corrosion Control Systems & Failure Analysis

Experienced PE, PhD Scientists, NACE Certified in Corrosion, Coating, Design , Materials Selection & Cathodic Protection Specialists who will solve your corrosion problems at both initial design stages and in service. We have been providing corrosion engineering services for over 3000 clients.

• Corrosion Engineering and Cathodic Protection of Underground Pipe Lines, Tanks, Production /Transmission Facilities: (a) Underground (b) Above Ground (c) Marine Environments
• Corrosion Evaluation, life expectancy determination
• Corrosion mapping, detection of "Hot Spots", cathodic protection of reinforced concrete structures
• Explosions/Fire Investigation forensic engineering
• Electrochemical EIS , DC and AC Testing - Determination of cathodic protection criteria for non-ferrous alloys and stainless steels
• On-site Evaluation of tanks and corrosion mitigation by protective coatings and internal or external Cathodic Protection
• Corrosivity determination of soil, water and determination of corrosion mitigation techniques
• On-site coating evaluation and selection of coatings for specific corrosive environments by EIS technique  

Corrosion Group

Corrosion team is comprised of certified and experienced personnel from a variety of technical disciplines including: corrosion engineering, cathodic protection, coating/paint, inspection, chemistry, metallurgy, and materials science.  We also have a vast array of laboratory and field testing equipment. All of Matco's testing equipment is calibrated on a routine basis in accordance with both national and international standards, and is ready to be put to use at a moment's notice.

Our team of NACE Certified Corrosion/Materials Selection/ Design/Coating/Cathodic Protection  Specialists (*) includes:

                    Dr. M. Zee(*)                                             Mr. Geoff Rhodes (*)

                    Dr. Don Gibbon                                         Mr. Kevin Groll  (*)          

                    Dr. George Bayer                                      Ms. Debra Riley (*)

                    Mr. Joe Tureck                                          Mr. Ed Larkin

                    Mr. Ed MaCan, PE                                    Mr. Walter Gretz, PE

                    Dr. Kasraie, PE                                         Dr. Huping Xue

                    Dr. Bavarian                                              Mr. Jay Metha 

An illustrated formal report documents the results of the investigation. If necessary, Matco personnel can usually be on site almost immediately when requested during emergency situations.